USM athletic department's deficit tops $1.2M

10:11 PM,
Oct. 6, 2012

Aubrey Lucas

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The Southern Miss athletic department owes the university proper in excess of $1.2 million for deficits the program has run in three of the past four fiscal years - and athletics is projecting a shortfall of at least $1 million for 2012-13.

But interim Southern Miss President Aubrey Lucas said measures taken by the university and the athletic department whittled about $800,000 from the projected debt in 2011-12 and future steps are in the works to dry up the rest of the past red ink.

"You do not want to be in that position," Lucas said. "It's just not good policy." ...